March 26, 2015
Protests called by the cooperative of nine opposition parties that have come together under the stewardship of Semayawi (Blue) party is to be held this Sunday March 29, 2015 in fifteen towns and cities of Ethiopia including Addis Abeba and Dire Dawa. The Electorial Board of Ethiopia had repeatedly warned the parties that it is not authorising their cooperative alliance.
The Addis Abeba City Administration is planning to ban the demonstration stating that it has not received the government’s permission.
The Administration in Bahir Dar city has already written a letter stating that the demonstration cannot be held because of the national sports competition that will be held in the City and Renaissance Dam Bond sale events.
Addisu Getaneh, the Demonstration Organiser for Blue Party in Western Gojjam Zone, said the Administration deliberately banned the demonstration without enough evidences.
He said the government wanted to ban the demonstration because the government is afraid of the peoples protest against the government.
Girma Bekele, the main organiser of the demo said so far they have received no letter banning the demonstration from any of the city administration therefore the demonstration will be held accordingly.
Known as “Freedom for a just election”, the demonstration is expected to attract a large number of people if held with no hindrance.
Campaign messages and posters of opposition parties for the upcoming May 2015 general election, are being returned back by state media and removed from public places by government agents.
Similarly, the Addis Abeba City Cabinet that discussed about the threats that the ruling Front faces in the upcoming election found that economic problems and Muslim protesters were likely to make the Front lose power in Addis Abeba. Pursuing the 1 to 5 organising structure was suggested as the best option.
The Cabinet is under fire for paying a lump sum of 11 million birr or over half a million U.S. dollar to the Ethiopian Information Network Security Agency (INSA) for developing the software that was used to award Condominium housing winners last week.